A Virtual Reality Lab Experience Classroom Guide HoloLAB Champions was funded in part by the Institute of Education Sciences at the US Department of Education SBIR Grant Program (ED-IES-16-C-0009, ED-IES-17-C-0035) What’s in this Guide? Letter to Educators ....................................................................................................................... 3 What is HoloLAB Champions? .....................................................................................................4 Quick Start Guide ............................................................................................................................. 5 Tour of the HoloLAB ......................................................................................................................... 8 Game Content Overview ............................................................................................................ 10 Scoring Overview ............................................................................................................................ 12 Lab Equipment Overview ............................................................................................................ 13 Lab Guides .......................................................................................................................................... 14 1. Mini-lab: Acceptable Error ...................................................................................... 15 2. Mini-lab: Precision Panic .......................................................................................... 16 3. Mini-lab: Chemical Barista ..................................................................................... 17 4. Mini-lab: Tiny Transfer .............................................................................................. 18 5. Mini-lab: Glow, Dye, Glow ........................................................................................ 19 6. Mini-lab: Mass Hysteria ......................................................................................... 20 7. Mini-lab: RatiOh-No .................................................................................................... 21 8. Mini-lab: Chroma Key ............................................................................................... 22 9. Mini-lab: A Matter of Color .................................................................................. 23 10. Mini-lab: Dissolve to Solve .................................................................................. 24 11. Mini-lab: Read to Succeed .................................................................................... 25 12. Mini-lab: Dense Party ............................................................................................ 26 13. Mini-lab: Density Intensity .................................................................................. 27 14. Mini-lab: Identiflame .............................................................................................. 28 15. Final Lab: Glowing Flask Challenge .............................................................. 29 16. Final Lab: Fireworks Challenge ........................................................................ 37 Appendix A: Details on Lab Equipment ............................................................................ 46 Appendix B: Connections to Standards .......................................................................... 51 Appendix C: VR Usage Guide . .................................................................................................. 52 Appendix D: Troubleshooting ................................................................................................. 54 Appendix E: Lab Notebook Content .................................................................................... 57 2 Letter to TeachersEducators Dear Educator – Hello from Schell Games! We are a game studio based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that makes all sorts of interactive experiences, including educational games. We created HoloLAB Champions as a way for players to engage playfully with chemistry lab equipment in virtual reality. Our primary goals were to: • Encourage players to see themselves as someone who DOES belong in a lab and who could be successful in a lab-related career • Give players “hands-on” exposure and experience working with lab equipment in a space where they can safely try, fail, and play There are a variety of ways you can incorporate HoloLAB Champions into your classroom, including: • As a stand-alone single-player game for students to play on their own • As a small-group work station • As a collaborative whole-class experience This guide includes some suggestions on these different approaches along with some supporting materials, including lesson handouts, technical guides, and detailed information on the game content. These curricular materials were created with the input of chemistry educators. We hope they give you a strong starting place for understanding HoloLAB Champions and how you might leverage it for your own students. We know that a virtual reality experience could never fully replace real-world lab practice. In some ways, the HoloLAB experience closely mirrors reality, but in other ways, it differs significantly. Our intent is for HoloLAB Champions to augment the classroom lab experience, giving your students an additional way to learn and practice their basic lab skills. We would love to hear from you! Let us know how you’re using HoloLAB Champions in your classroom. You can email [email protected] or connect with us on social media @SchellGames. Your input will help inform future games and classroom experiences. Sincerely, 3 ? What is HoloLAB Champions HoloLAB Champions is a virtual reality (VR) game about chemistry lab practice in which players complete lab challenges using virtual lab equipment. In HoloLAB Champions, your students can work together to get through the game’s challenges or practice independently. Gameplay takes place at a virtual lab desk and uses a virtual lab notebook to guide students in the lab. Why should you use HoloLAB Champions in your classroom? Use HoloLAB Champions to give your students a safe, fun space to practice their basic lab skills. In the HoloLAB, they can pour, scoop, spill, measure, break, weigh, and burn, all without making a mess and with the freedom to try again and again. HoloLAB Champions has state-of-the-art simulation of liquids and solid powders, enabling your students to really feel like they are pouring into beakers or scooping powders into weigh boats. The HoloLAB provides feedback to students on the accuracy of their measurements, their attention to detail in lab procedures, and their ability to avoid spilling and breaking in the virtual lab. (If you’re looking to connect HoloLAB to educational standards, check out Appendix B.) How does HoloLAB Champions differ from the real-world? The HoloLAB simulation does have limits in its fidelity to the real world. In particular, the HoloLAB does not support cleaning of lab equipment or consequences of chemical exposure. HoloLAB Champions is available in English on Steam for the Oculus Rift and VIVE VR platforms. 4 Quick Start Guide First, start the game in Steam. Put on your VR headset and pick up the controllers. Make sure you have a clear 4’x4’ area around you while playing. You will not need to walk around while playing the game, but you will need space to move your arms. It is recommended that you have audio on while playing, either in headphones or through speakers. For more VR tips, see the VR Usage Guide. Using the Game Menu You will start out in the “Hall of Brains” – this is the main menu of the game. 1. Make sure you are standing in the center of your play area, facing forward. You will see the HoloLAB logo (left). If you see the Hall of Brains sign (right), then turn around. 1 5 4 3 2 2. Use the trigger on the controllers to press the “Play” or “Practice” button to select which game mode you want to use. (See next page for brief explanation of these two options.) 3. Use the arrow buttons to move between different Play and Practice options. 4. When you have chosen your destination, pull the lever to enter the HoloLAB and play that event or practice lab. Whenever you exit the HoloLAB, you will return to the Hall of Brains and the main menu interface. To exit the game completely, use the Steam menu at any time to quit, or take off the VR headset and close the game using the mouse and keyboard. 6 Playing the Game in Practice Lab Mode HoloLAB Practice Labs are single labs. There are two types: Mini-labs and Final labs. A Practice Mini-lab typically takes 1-10 minutes to complete, while a practice Final Lab takes 10-40 minutes (depending on the player’s comfort in VR.) 1. Each lab will have between 1 to 5 items to create and submit. Follow the procedure in the lab notebook to create your submissions. 2. When you have placed all the items on pedestal, pull the Submit Lever. • If your submission is accepted, you will receive a score for that lab and details on the contents of your submissions. • If your submission is rejected, you can try to fix your submission and submit again. 3. When a practice lab is complete, you may pull the Reload Equipment lever to practice again or use the Exit lever to return to the main menu. Playing the Game in Play Mode (Events) HoloLAB Play mode has two playable Events that feature an introduction, 10 mini-labs, one final lab, and a trophy award moment.